Mutton Top

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending an amazing 48 hours at the glorious Mutton Top cabin in Lydia, VA (try to find that in Google Maps!). It was one of the most fun and relaxing weekends I've ever had. Check out my awesome photos for the trip here.

Abridged Trip Journal
Day 1: Dave Connolly and I load up the truck and finally get moving at about 6pm. We arrive at the campsite at about 8:30 but are forced to wait at the locked gate for Dave Michaels and George, who have the gate key and are running late. Finally they arrive and we drive, 4x4 style, up to Mutton Top cabin, where we meet the rest of the crowd. Hot dogs grilled over a fire are a tasty late dinner.

Day 2: Delicious egg scramble for breakfast, cooked on our wood-burning stove. At about 10:45 most of us head out for a hike/stroll through the woods. Many, many ticks make frantic attempts to land on us and feast on our blood (at the time of this writing, it appears none were successful). Upon returning two hours later, general relaxation and snacking ensue. Connolly, Michaels, George, Jeff, and Kevin (and me a little) burn many calories by hacking away at wood in an attempt to bulk up our supply for the evening. During one scavanging expedition, Connolly discovers a vine which then becomes the object of much Tarzan-inspired merriment until it breaks from all the abuse. Dinner of grilled corn, burgers, and hot dogs fills our tummy. Later, we stay up late around the campfire, making s'mores and tossing in beer cans to watch them melt in the fire's warm embrace. Nobody knows any good camp songs. It's a Flower Moon out (what's that?)

Day 3: Another delicious meal (surprise!) of banana-chocolate pancakes for breakfast. Everyone packs up and cleans up in a leisurely manner. We lock the door on ol' Mutton Top around 1, just in time to avoid the storm that rolls in shortly afterwards. Dave and I struggle mightily to stay awake for the ride home.


The Mutton Top Cabin Crew

Horsin' Around at the Virginia Gold Cup

Me with Jan Louis (left) and Jeff

Bookielicious

Me acting as bookie at the Gold Cup

The Echoes get crazy at Fat Tuesday's

Purple Mountains Majesty

I think it may have been a trick of my goggles, but the mountains across the valley were purple today. The lake, of course, was its usual state of shocking deep blue. The views here are unbelievable.

Observations from today:

• I think I'm getting better! Or more likely it's all psychological, and I've been cheered by the compliment I received from a stranger this afternoon.
• Little kids on skis: cute. Little kids on snowboards: even cuter. I could eat them alive.
• Groucho Marx is hot.

I'm being beckoned to the hot tub. Adios.

Tahoe Observations

It's now the end of my second day of mountain bliss in Tahoe, California. It poured snow all day yesterday, but I managed to clamber all over Heavenly in pursuit of my lost ski legs. Found 'em! Today was the storm's brilliant after-math: sunny skies and pure fluff on the slopes. My quads may never recover, but my heart is full to bursting. Oh, and did I mention that my mother, father, aunt, and best friend are here?

Observations from the past couple days:

• For some reason I always figured I was a pretty decent skiier. Turns out I had a generous definition of "decent."
• Tahoe snow plows are HUGE. And scary.
• Genius award goes to the person who thought of popping up windshield whipers on cars. This prevents them from freezing on the windshield.
• You can save yourself from a certain-death backward slide down a hill by yanking the emergency brake and flipping a 180, then gunning it downhill. Between that and an ample supply of dumb luck, you can survive even the most harrowing of winter driving experiences.
• Sunscreen has an expiration date. Huh?? Of course I only realize this AFTER I'm burned into oblivion.
• Heavenly is full of catwalks. Catwalks are hard as f%^$ing hell. In related news, they also suck.

I think I'll curl up with a hot tub and some single malt scotch now. White out.

Yes, I'm a Groupie

Went to an amazing concert yesterday at Iota. And since this is my own personal space for making whatever ridiculous pronouncements I wish to, let me say this: The Echoes and Brainfang rock. I adore them, and I am fast on my way to being a groupie.

Now I realize there are only like three people that read this blog, but if by any chance you happen to stumble across this - especially if you live in the DC Metro region - you really must check them out.

'Tis the Season to be Jolly

OK, I just have to say that I freakin' love the middle of December. Screw Chrismukah - I'm talking year-end lists! You know, when critics rank the best music releases of the year. I am basically wallowing in bliss. Today Pitchfork released their "Top 100 Albums of 2005," which I was pleased to note put my dear, dear friend Sufjan at #1, as did Amazon. I also dig the Onion AV Club's method of giving multiple reviewers a chance to publish their own lists instead of trying to compromise on one official ranking. Read, learn, and listen, kids!

Baltimore

Had a great time Sunday spending the day in Baltimore. Thanks to my friend Jan Louis I was able to experience the pleasure of a visit to the Dime Museum, a truly bizarre, creepy, and thus utterly appropriate homage to the dime museum of the late 19th Century and the carnival sideshow of the early 20th. Exhibits ranged from a stuffed two-headed calf to an aligator-woman in a glass case (as our guide said, "Feel free to be skeptical"). Very whacky but fun place - too bad it will be closing at the end of the year.

After a delicious dinner courtesy of Faith's parents, I then went with buddies Faith, Jan Louis, and Ray to the "Miracle on 34th Street" display of shocking Christmas excess on 34th Street in Hampden. It was visual cacophony, but awesome. Back in Los Gatos we had (still have, I guess) a house we always drove past on our way home that was super, super decked out for Christmas - it sometimes included a BMW M3 covered with lights (yuppie Santa's modern sleigh) and a roof lined with lights and programed to do a rippling sequence from top to bottom. That was cool too, but it would have been just another face in the crowd on 34th Street.